Microsoft launches free cybersecurity programme to combat rising nation-state threats

According to Microsoft, Russian and Chinese activity is particularly prolific in Europe

Microsoft on Wednesday announced the launch of a new European Security Program, offering governments across the continent free tools and intelligence to combat increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

The initiative extends Microsoft's existing Government Security Program and is now available to all European Union countries, accession states, European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members, as well as the UK, Monaco and the Vatican.

"Microsoft's Government Security Program (GSP) has long provided governments with confidential security information and resources to help them better understand our products and the evolving threat landscape, particularly threats from nation-state actors. Building on existing efforts, our new European Security Program will increase the flow and expand access to actionable threat intelligence to European governments," Microsoft said in a blog post.

The announcement comes as European governments face an escalating threat landscape, with state-sponsored actors from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea ramping up cyber-espionage campaigns targeting public and private networks.

According to Microsoft, Russian and Chinese activity is particularly prolific in Europe, with attackers using tactics such as credential theft and vulnerability exploitation to gain unauthorised access to government systems.

"Microsoft continues to observe persistent threat activity targeting European networks from nation-state actors," the company said in its official announcement.

Espionage remains the predominant objective, especially from Iran and North Korea, using methods that exploit both human and software vulnerabilities.

A key element of the new European Security Program is AI. Microsoft plans to use AI-driven threat detection to generate real-time, nation-specific intelligence that will allow for earlier identification and disruption of cyberattacks. This includes intelligence feeds from Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit and Threat Analysis Center, tailored to each country's infrastructure and threat profile.

The programme will also deliver early warnings and mitigation advice on newly discovered software vulnerabilities, and provide insights on foreign influence operations, especially those involving deepfakes, a rising concern across European democracies.

One of the most high-profile examples cited is a 2022 deepfake video falsely showing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy surrendering to Russian forces, and a 2023 fake audio clip that manipulated public opinion during the Slovakian elections.

So far, audio has been easier to fake than video, noted Microsoft president Brad Smith.

In addition to supplying technical tools, Microsoft's expanded initiative stresses on cross-border collaboration to tackle the root causes of cyber threats.

The company will renew and strengthen partnerships with several prominent institutions including Europol, LASR, the CyberPeace Institute and the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre.

It also continues its support for the GitHub Secure Open Source Fundand will work more closely with internet service providers to aid in user-level threat response.

The announcement further highlights Microsoft's role in the recent takedown of the Lumma infostealer malware, which infected thousands of systems across France, Germany, Spain, Poland, Italy and the UK.

The Lumma campaign is seen as a prime example of how criminal groups leverage both automation and obfuscation to harvest sensitive data at scale.

Microsoft also said that it is actively tracking the misuse of its AI models and has measures in place to prevent known cybercriminals from using them.

The company reassured European partners that it is monitoring the potential for generative AI to be weaponised, whether in disinformation campaigns or in the automation of attacks.